Inbox/Outbox: September 21, 2012

After last week’s reading successes (four books finished and not a single DNF!), I was feeling pretty confideny (probably too confident) in my ability to plow through the avalanche of Big Fall Books. This week brought a parade of wonderful acquisitions and a dearth of reading time–the ultimate combination for reminding me that there will always be so. many. books. You know the rest.

Here are the highlights. Please tell me about your own books acquired and read in the comments!

Inbox (Books Acquired)

The Art of the Epigraph: How Great Books Begin by Rosemary Ahern (Atria, October 30)–A collection of epigraphs from across literature, with new commentary by the author. A must for lovers of the book-about-books.

Friendkeeping by Julie Klam (Riverhead, October25)–After writing two books about man’s best friend (Love at First Bark and You Had Me at Woof), Klam turns her eye to friendships of the human variety. I adored Klam’s first two collections and cannot wait to see her trademark candor and humor in a meditation on modern friendship.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell (Knopf, February 2013)–The author of Swamplandia! and St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves returns to the short story format where she shines. File this one under Can.Not.Wait.

Whore Stories: A Revealing History of the World’s Oldest Profession by Tyler Stoddard Smith–A guy who has written for McSweeney’s, The Morning News, and The Nervous Breakdown (among many others) takes a look at the history of prostitution. Yes, please!

Outbox (Books Finished)

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 23)–If teenage me could have ordered up the ideal YA books, they would have looked a lot like the books A.S. King writes. I’d be mad that she wasn’t writing when I was a teenager if she weren’t so damn good. This one’s about a teenage girl making sense of her sexuality, peace with her family, and meaning from her struggle. It’s rad, and you should read it.

The Twelve by Justin Cronin (Ballantine, October 16)–I haven’t finished this long-awaited sequel to Cronin’s viral hit The Passage (see what I did there?) at the time of writing, but I will have by the time this post is published. So there! Every bit as addictive as the first book (dare I say, better?), The Twelve is an excellent reminder of the magic that happens when a writer with literary chops takes on a whiz-bang, action-filled genre adventure.

In the Queue

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown (watch this and you’ll want to read it too)

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell–for a co-read with fellow Rioter Greg

Your turn, readers! What books came into your home this week? What did you read? What’s on tap for the weekend?

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